Bernard Tomic to take time off between various tournament to stay on top of his game

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BERNARD Tomic has pledged a complete overhaul of the attitude that saw him suspended from the Australian Davis Cup team, slide 25 spots down the ATP rankings and come under fire for tanking.

Ahead of his first-round showdown with Australia's No. 1 player Marinko Matosevic tomorrow at the Apia International Sydney, Tomic also revealed plans to slash the number of tournaments he plays on the ATP tour to ensure he has more time to train and stay fresh.

Tomic, the outright $5 favourite for the Sydney crown, has never been happier with his own attitude after blitzing world No.1 Novak Djokovic at the Hopman Cup in Perth this week.

"Take two months away from tournaments and you get to learn what it is you really want," Tomic said after arriving in Sydney on Saturday night.

"It wasn't that I fell out of love, I just got that drained and couldn't really put in a 100 per cent.

"Now everything I do now is more than 100 per cent, I'm committing to everything. That's why I'm playing the tennis I've been playing the last week.

"I hope I can continue and I will I'm sure. I can't wait for this whole year to see how I approach it and do really well.

"Spending two to three weeks off and having a little break and then coming back training for eight or nine weeks was huge for me.

"I had no time to train last year. I kept playing tournament after tournament and I've improved so much the last two months and the results are really showing.

"I've got to keep my head up and play well here and then in Melbourne next week.

"I think my approach last year to tournaments was a bit different. Now I'm ready to win every tournament I play and give myself the best opportunity to do as best I can.

"I believe I can now. I'm prepared to play well here."

Tomic played 27 ATP tournaments, three Davis Cup ties and a handful of exhibition events in 2012, but believes he can reach his highest ranking by slashing the number of events he plays this year.

After sitting down with his team this off-season, including father and coach John Tomic, he will not play more than three tournaments back-to-back and wants to take a fortnight break after every competition window.

"That's when I'm going to give myself the best chance, when I'm prepared and fit to play each tournament, to give 100 per cent," he said.

"One of the biggest problems I had last year was I had no time to rest or train.

"For me, once I play more than four or five tournaments I get tired. I stop focusing and that's really what I've got set down to do this year."

Tomic also said it was out of the question that he could be recalled for Australia's Davis Cup tie against Taiwan in February and does not expect to return to captain Pat Rafter's team until September.

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